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  • Today, Customs will begin e-valuation of vehicle duty depreciation

    Today, Customs will begin e-valuation of vehicle duty depreciation

    On Friday, the Nigeria Customs Service will begin the rollout of its Vehicles Identification Number platform for the electronic valuation of vehicles. The Nigeria Customs Service has stated that it will review depreciation on vehicle duty (today).

    According to the Controller Valuation of the Service, Comptroller Anthony Udeze, the depreciation value of vehicles has not been calculated accurately up until this point. As the commission prepares to redeploy its VIN platform, he added that a large number of variables were also considered.

    He stated that the platform would impose a uniform obligation on all industry participants. Thursday in Apapa, he disclosed this during a sensitisation meeting in preparation for the redeployment of the VIN platform.

    Read Also: Who Will Defeat APGA in the 2023 Anambra Central Senatorial District?

    He stated, “We have examined the various vehicle values. Observe the items displayed here, and you will notice that a human touch has been applied. Prior to the protest, the value had not been properly depreciated.

    “Accordingly, the committee has implemented the auto policy and performed a linear depreciation from 2021 to 2013.” It must be stated at this time that the requirement of being at least 12 years old remains in effect. Therefore, if you bring in a vehicle that is older than 12 years, you will see the 2013 value.

    “We have given the values a human face, and we have accounted for all possibilities, including accident vehicles and salvage vehicles. Today, we are presenting the standardisation and unification of all area command values.

    “And today we are here to demonstrate and inform all stakeholders that VIN valuation is here to stay.” We are rolling out VIN valuation over the weekend, and if you capture data on Saturday, you will apply the VIN valuation by Monday.

    Moreover, he assured stakeholders that they would appreciate the platform. As a result of taking into account the depreciation value of imported used cars, he asserts that the duty value of cars will become advantageous for industry participants.

    The Customs Area Controller in charge of Apapa Command, Yusuf Malanta, stated at the event that the commission must embrace automation in order to keep pace with globalisation. He stated that on the platform, checks, controls, and errors will be quickly identified.

    The vehicle valuation platform was not out of place, as he disclosed that automation was crucial. He added that with the platform, agents can clear their vehicles from the comfort of their own homes.
    He stated, “Now some agents can process cargo clearance from the comfort of their bedrooms.” The world is digitising.

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    “The new digital PAAR is an additional improvement. Nigeria will not passively observe as others utilise digital technology for business facilitation. If there is anything we need to modify, please let us know and we will do so.”

    Festus Okun, the Comptroller of the Ports and Terminal Multipurpose Limited command, added, “The Customs service has recently incorporated into our processes and procedures the fundamental principles of taxation, which include uniformity, fairness, and predictability, among others. With this VIN valuation, uniformity and predictability would exist.”

    According to Kayode Farinto, the acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, agents must comply so that clearance processes are expedited.

    Auto-release is an agent right, and customs must address it to ensure a smooth process, he added.

    According to him, the NCS’s indiscriminate increase in Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports has also allowed stakeholders to circumvent its process.

  • Who Will Defeat APGA in the 2023 Anambra Central Senatorial District?

    Who Will Defeat APGA in the 2023 Anambra Central Senatorial District?

    By Chief R. C. Okeke

    It’s that time of year again, when political parties can elect their best candidates through party primaries in order to compete against opposition parties in the General Election. All eyes are on the Anambra Central senatorial district, where the state ruling party, the APGA, failed to win senatorial elections. The upcoming election may be even more difficult for APGA, given that the party is competing against the APC and the PDP in the presidential election. Given the likelihood of Senator Uche Ekwunife receiving the PDP ticket, it is in APGA’s best interests to approach the election strategically if it is to win.

    The APGA, Anambra’s state ruling party, has a mandate to be tactical in order to disrupt the election and win. To that end, the party’s leadership must educate the delegates who will vote in the primaries to vote only for candidates who can win the general election. Anyone could win the primaries as long as the party backs the candidate! However, winning primaries is not the ultimate goal.

    Three candidates from Anambra’s ruling party are running for the Anambra Central senatorial seat. Hon. Dozie Nwankwo MHR, Sen. Victor Umeh, and Chief Uzuegbuna Okagbue, the youngest of the three, are the members. Without a doubt, they are all qualified to represent the party in the 10th Senate. They have political experience and, truth be told, any of them can win the party’s primary election.

    The question now is who among them can win the state ruling party’s primary election. Who can quickly mobilize and amass the necessary goodwill and resources?

    I met with three of them separately and discussed their chances of unseating the incumbent senator in the main election scheduled by INEC next year.

    I must say that Chief Uzu Okagbue has a good chance of flying the party’s flag high in the coming election, having known Anambra people and studied the politics of Anambra Central during my 12 years in Awka, the state capital, before relocating to Abuja. He is intelligent, focused, goal-oriented, and an eloquent speaker. He is young and resilient. We all assumed that as ex-Governor Willie Obiano’s immediate past Chief of Protocol and Deputy Chief of Staff, he was effectively the governor’s minder, operations manager, cordinator, and human resource manager, all of which didn’t leave him time or require him to speak to the public. However, his dedication to the cause of the ongoing consultations has been exceptional, demonstrating his oratory skills. His consultation also covers his contacts and reach, which are important factors in determining one’s chances of winning. Sen. Umeh and Hon. Nwankwo have not been seen much in this regard. It also reflects their level of acceptance. The APGA should not take chances with Nwankwo and Umeh.

    Read Also: In Burkina Faso Attacks, 11 Soldiers and 15 Gunmen Died

    In the upcoming party primaries, which I learned will take place next week, APGA, as the State ruling party, faces a difficult choice: either give its ticket to someone who will win the general election or give it to someone who they will still finance but who will lose to the incumbent. Politics is the truth. Sitting on the fence is not an option.

    I’m sure Anambra Governor Prof. Charles Soludo will not take such chances, because Anambra needs money to start development projects, not to fund individual elections.

    On that note, I’d like to appeal to the APGA Anambra Central senatorial district delegates to vote wisely. My point is that our politics require a breath of fresh air.

    A vote against Uzuegbuna Okagbue is one that is not in the party’s best interests. The truth is that with Uzuegbuna Okagbue on the ticket as the party’s candidate, APGA has a better chance of winning the General Election.

  • In Burkina Faso Attacks, 11 Soldiers and 15 Gunmen Died

    In Burkina Faso Attacks, 11 Soldiers and 15 Gunmen Died

    In a suspected jihadist attack in eastern Burkina Faso, eleven soldiers and fifteen gunmen were killed, according to the army.

    On Thursday, security and local sources estimated that an attack on a military unit claimed the lives of seven soldiers, while a separate attack on a bus claimed the life of one civilian.

    However, in a statement issued overnight, the military chief of staff reported that eleven service members had been killed.

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    “Complex attack — shells fired, followed by direct fire on the base” in Madjoari, Kompienga province, according to a statement.

    It stated, “Eleven soldiers were killed… and at least 20 were wounded.”

    At least 15 terrorists who were attempting to escape after the attack were “neutralised” by army warplanes, the report stated.

    On Saturday, approximately 40 people, the majority of whom were civilian volunteers with the army, were killed in three suspected jihadist attacks in the same regions.

    Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been ravaged by jihadist raids by Al-Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated groups.

    There have been more than 2,000 deaths and 1.8 million people have been displaced.

    Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandiago Damiba, the new head of state, has stated that he has made addressing the security crisis his “priority.”

    Damiba deposed elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore in January, accusing him of ineffectiveness in the face of jihadist violence.

    Read Also:  Ndi Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo, Uzo has come!

    Following a period of relative calm following Damiba’s ascension to power, an increase in attacks has resulted in the deaths of nearly 200 people.

    At the beginning of April, Damiba announced the formation of local committees in an effort to engage with jihadist groups and reduce violence.

  • Ndi Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo, Uzo has come!

    Ndi Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo, Uzo has come!

    Comrade Uzo Nwosu has a bachelor’s degree in engineering, as well as master’s degrees in information technology and business administration.

    He has 24 years of experience working for two multinational oil companies, Texaco Overseas Petroleum Company Unlimited and Chevron Nigeria Limited, in Nigeria, the United States, Angola, and Congo Brazzaville, respectively.

    From 1987 to 1988, Comrade Uzo Nwosu was Vice President of the Nnewi Undergraduate Congress.

    From 1988 to 1989, he was the president of the Anambra State National Union.

    Texaco Overseas Multipurpose Cooperative Society General Secretary 2000-2002, Chairman of Chevy View Estate 2015-2017

    From 2010 to 2013, he served as Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior State Association.

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    From 2014 to 2015, he served as Chairman of the Board of Coral Beach Estate.

    Since 2015, he has served on the board of Chevron Microfinance Bank.

    Since 2020, he has served as President of the Chevron Multipurpose Coorporative Society.

  • Protest rocks Abuja, protesters block Minister’s office, set fire on Gwagwalada-Abuja Road

    Protest rocks Abuja, protesters block Minister’s office, set fire on Gwagwalada-Abuja Road

    Residents of Abuja’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are currently protesting by setting fire to the Gwagwalada-Abuja expressway, obstructing human and vehicular movement.

    The situation has caused commotion and tension in the area, resulting in traffic gridlock.

    Some protesters have also blocked the Minister’s office in Area 11 in protest of a federal high court decision that granted the incumbent six Area Council Chairmen a one-year tenure extension.

    The protesters want the Chairmen-elect to be sworn in today, Friday 20th, instead of tomorrow.
    They also criticized Minister Bello Mohammad’s decision to postpone the elected chairmen’s inauguration and swearing-in ceremony.
    According to the ruling, based on the recently signed Electoral Act 2022, which stipulates that the term of office of chairmen of Area Councils in the FCT will now be four years instead of three, the current chairmen, whose term was set to expire on Thursday, will be given another year to serve.

  • Fire Raze Goods Worth Millions In Akwa Ibom Market

    Fire Raze Goods Worth Millions In Akwa Ibom Market

    In the popular Itam Market in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, a fire has destroyed eight lockup shops with goods worth millions of naira.

    The fire, the cause of which was unknown, was said to have started in a section of the market where there was no electrical connection.

    On Thursday, a visit to the market revealed that two of the eight affected shops had been demolished before the state fire department arrived.

    The fire, which began around 9 p.m., did not spread throughout the market because youths mobilized and evacuated goods from many shops before the fire was put out.

    Mr John, who sells stationery, was one of the victims who said he lost everything in the fire.

    “I left the market around 7 p.m., and by nine p.m., one of the security men called to tell me that my shop had burned down,” he said. When I returned, I was devastated to see that everything in my shop had been destroyed.

    Read Also: Omiyi succeeds Orjiakor as chairman of Seplat Energy

    “The fire department was here when I arrived, but I couldn’t even remove a pin from the shop,” she said, adding, “Honestly, I don’t know where to begin.”

    Another victim, Aniekpeno Akra, said he learned about the fire from a phone call, but when he arrived at his shop, he discovered the damage had already been done.

    Elder Godwin Ebong, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the market’s Traders Forum Association, said that when the union learned of the fire, it immediately contacted men from the fire service, who arrived within 45 minutes of the blaze breaking out.

    He went on to say that the union had reached out to both the local and state governments for assistance for the affected shop owners because of their quick response.
    He also stated that preliminary investigations had not revealed the cause of the fire, despite the fact that no electrical wiring was present in the affected area.

    “We cannot determine the cause of the fire outbreak until now,” he said. We conducted an internal investigation but were unable to locate the source. We’re still hoping to learn more about what happened in a few days.”

    “I called the fire service personnel,” said Mr Idorenyin Raphael, Governor Udom Emmanuel’s Special Assistant on Trade and Investment. They were on the ground in 20 minutes to put an end to the situation.”

  • Omiyi succeeds Orjiakor as chairman of Seplat Energy

    Omiyi succeeds Orjiakor as chairman of Seplat Energy

    Basil Omiyi has been named as the new independent non-executive chairman of Seplat Energy Plc. Mr. Omiyi takes over from A.B.C. Orjiakor, whose term ended on Wednesday.

    Seplat also appointed Charles Okeantalam as the firm’s senior independent non-executive director, a role previously held by Mr Omiyi, according to a notice published by the Nigerian Exchange on Thursday.

    The oil and gas firm said the appointment was approved following a unanimous vote by all its directors in compliance with the Companies and Allied Matters Act in Nigeria (“CAMA”).

    The appointments are effective right away.

    Omiyi Basil

    Since March 2013, Mr. Omiyi has served on the board of directors of Seplat Energy, rising to the position of senior independent non-executive director in February 2021.

    He has held senior positions in the energy industry in Nigeria and Europe, including becoming the managing director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria in 2004.

    Until his retirement in 2009, he was also the country chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria.

    Since 2015, he has served as the independent non-executive chairman of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, the local unit of South Africa’s Standard Bank Group. For pioneering leadership in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, he was awarded the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger in 2011.

    Charles Okeahalam

    Charles Okeahalam, an independent non-executive director who joined the board in March 2013 as chair of Seplat Energy’s finance committee and a member of the Energy Transition, Remuneration, and Nominations & Governance committees.

    He has extensive experience in corporate finance and capital markets, as well as a broad understanding of African financial markets, economies, and the investment industry.

    “He was a co-founder of AGH Capital Group, a Johannesburg-based private equity and diversified investment holding company with assets in several African countries,” according to the document.

    He was a professor of Financial Economics and Banking at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg before co-founding AGH Capital Group in 2002.

    Previously, he advised several African central banks and government ministries, as well as the World Bank and the United Nations.

    He has served on several boards and is the former non-executive chairman of Nigeria’s Heritage Bank Limited.

    Okeahalam has served as the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company’s non-executive chairman.

  • Residents of Lekki have declared war on Okada Riders

    Residents of Lekki have declared war on Okada Riders

    The Lekki Phase I Residents Association (LERA) restricted commercial motorcycle operators from the area just 24 hours after the Lagos State Government announced a total ban on commercial motorcycle riders known as Okada riders.

    After the death of a Sound Engineer who was beaten to a pulp and set on fire by suspected Okada riders, there have been a number of reactions.
    Mr. Yomi Idowu, Chairman of LERA, briefed reporters and tasked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu with enforcing the total ban on Okada.

    The Chairman also expressed concern about hoodlums in some unfinished buildings, urging the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and the New Towns Development Authority (NTDA) to remove them.
    “Dastardly, animalistic, and senseless,” Idowu said of the killing of David Imoh, a sound engineer in Lekki.

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    “According to intelligence reports reaching us, following the raid on Okada riders and subsequent seizure of their bikes by officials of the Lagos State Taskforce in Lekki Phase 1, the riders, believing the action was instigated by Lekki residents, are planning to attack the residents,” he said.

    Residents have continued to be harassed and subjected to acts of terrorism by Okada riders, he said.

    “This isn’t the first time residents in Lekki Phase I have been terrorized by motorcycle riders; indeed, Okada has been a nuisance to the environment, and many residents have had their fair share of their sheer recklessness. The security situation in Lekki Phase I has obviously deteriorated. It is critical that we all take a united stance and develop joint initiatives to avoid total exposure to imminent security threats to our residents’ lives and property.

     

     

    “We in Lekki Phase I cannot risk the lives of our people any longer… As a result, we are taking proactive measures by prohibiting Okada riders’ activities with immediate effect.” “On our roads and streets, we choose to live and say no to ‘Okada,’” he said.

    Chief Emeka Nweze, a member of the Board of Trustees, said that the Okada riders’ customers are mostly domestic workers and construction workers.

    Nweze urged the state government to ensure that those who own undeveloped properties get to work on them or face having them taken away.

  • 25 ships discharge petrol, other items at Lagos ports

    25 ships discharge petrol, other items at Lagos ports

    On Thursday, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) announced that 25 ships had arrived at the Lagos Port Complex to discharge petrol and other goods.

    The ships were discharging bulk wheat, general cargo, frozen fish, bulk salt, bulk fertiliser, base oil, container, steam coal, bulk gypsum, automobile gasoline, and petrol, according to the NPA’s daily Shipping Position.

    Between May 19 and May 28, 15 more ships are expected to arrive at the port, according to the authority.
    Bulk wheat, general cargo, frozen fish, bulk sugar, butane gas, and containers were among the items expected.

    It said 12 more ships had arrived at the port with base oil, bulk sugar, bulk wheat, frozen fish, soya bean meal, and petrol.

  • Buhari departs for UAE on a condolence visit, to meet with the new President

    Buhari departs for UAE on a condolence visit, to meet with the new President

    President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja on Thursday to meet with the new president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to express condolences over the death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former president and ruler of Abu Dhabi.

    Buhari will congratulate the new president, renewing Nigeria-UAE ties.

    President Buhari will be accompanied by Amb. Zubairu Dada, Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, and Senator Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation.

    Maj. Gen. Mohammed Monguno (Ret.) and Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar are also in his delegation.

    The President reaffirmed Nigeria’s cordial relationship with the UAE in an earlier congratulatory message, noting that cooperation between both governments has helped Nigeria track down illegal assets and terrorist funds.

    President Buhari looks forward to a larger and stronger partnership under the new leadership.

    According to the statement, the President will return Saturday.